Tomorrow from 11am to 2pm, Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre will take on a black and white edge, as fans of Coventry’s most famous musical genre, 2-Tone of course, will don their pork pie hats, Doc’s and wrap-around glasses to descend on the theatre, armed with their memories.

Three Minute Heroes, Bob Eaton’s smash-hit 2-Tone musical, will make its long awaited return to Coventry for three weeks this autumn following two previous sell-out runs at the Belgrade Theatre in 2000 and 2001.

In countdown to the show, the Belgrade Theatre is launching an appeal for audiences to share their personal memories of the era that inspired a musical revolution. They are looking for your photos of the bands, or it could be of Rude boys or girls, maybe a venue in the city.

Three Minute Heroes poster

I know there are rare, never before seen pictures out there, so here is your chance to share them, and have a chance of actually seeing them in the production in the autumn, as part of Patrick Connellan’s 2-Tone inspired set design for the show.

Telling the story of 2-Tone through the lives of five Coventry teenagers and the racial tensions that engulfed the city at that time, Three Minute Heroes is a funny, feel-good and, at times, thought-provoking tribute to the city that inspired a musical revolution. Featuring a terrific live band and a soundtrack of songs which made stars of The Specials and The Selecter, tickets for Three Minute Heroes are on sale now.

To launch the appeal, stars of The Selecter, Pauline Black and Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson will join yours truly for the occasion (I’m there representing The Coventry Music Museum, who are proudly working in partnership with the Belgrade on this, look out for the museum’s Three Minute Heroes exhibition in October).

Suggs at The Lanch

Members of the public are also invited to email the Belgrade Theatre with their photos and other memories to: 2Toneremembered@belgrade.co.uk. Mark the subject line ‘Ska’d For Life’. You can also share your memories via Facebook at www.facebook.com/Belgradetheatre or via Twitter @BelgradeTheatre using the hashtag#2ToneRemembered

After the event, former Beat drummer Everett Morton, will be in conversation at The Music Museum at 3pm, as part of the Sounding Off events where local musicians get to answer a selection of questions from myself and the audience.

He will no doubt reveal his plans for his new band “The Beat Goes Bang”. The museum’s new website is now online at www.covmm.co.uk

Racial tensions brewing in Coventry city centre in 1981

Bob Davison has left the building, sadly one of the city’s most enduring singers passed away this week, leaving behind a massive legacy.

Bob was looking to form a band in Coventry circa 1959, met a like-minded rhythm guitarist Tony Beard, saw Cliff Richard performing “Move It” and became instantly hooked on the rock ‘n’ roll dream.

Along with Colin Kingsbear, Louie Woods, Phil Packham and Mal Jenkins, he formed the band that would become Bob Tempest and The Buccaneers.

Making their debut at the Wyken Community Centre, the band hit the spot, dressed to kill in all black except for white shoes and ties and sunglasses.

From humble beginnings playing at a very local level at The Walsgrave and The General Wolfe, they began moving up a gear and play gigs out of town as well as at Coventry’s Locarno and the Orchid Ballroom.

“They were glorious days,” reveals Tony, “at the Orchid we shared the bill with Johnny Kidd, Wee Willie Harris and Oh Boy favourite Cuddly Dudley. Then we got to play further afield and met the likes of Eden Kane, Marty Wilde, Shane Fenton and the Dave Clark Five.

Bandmate Tony Beard said of Bob, “I saw him Friday, and he didn’t look too well, but he always kept singing, it’s so sad, he will be hugely missed by all of us.”

Bob often sang in Bulgaria, where he was something of a star, and in 2007 when Bob was managing The General Wolfe on Foleshill Road, helped to bring live music back to the iconic venue.

He also inducted a Wall of Fame, depicting photographs of all the artists that had played there including U2, King, The Groundhogs, Eurythmics as well as Bob himself, of course as Bob Tempest and The Buccaneers.